2010 Fantasy Outlook

In the wake of the recent Beanie Wells hysteria lies Tim Hightower. A steady but unspectacular back with good hands, most experts have pegged Hightower for a fall from a mediocre perch. While we cannot endorse Hightower fully, be aware that despite his brutish size, Wells was never considered a tough player and his willingness to play with injury was the primary knock on him coming out of Ohio State. So, although Timmy is unlikely to win you any leagues, he could be a nice piece of a backfield by committee for a team desperate for RBs. On second thought, that doesnʼt sound so good.

Cardinals running back Tim Hightower (thumb) was limited again on Thursday, though he is fully expected to play on Sunday.

Pyro's take: We're pretty sure Hightower will play, but he's barely worth a flex on your fantasy football team considering his injury, the timeshare with Beanie Wells, and the Vikings 2nd ranked rush D.

Cardinals running back Tim Hightower came away from the Week 12 loss with an injury to his thumb. There has been no news on whether the injury would prevent him from playing next weekend or even hinder him in the slightest.

Pyro's take: Hightower is second in the NFL in both receptions and RB targets, so a thumb injury could definitely have an impact on his game. We'll keep you updated as to whether this will affect his fantasy football value or not.

According to Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, running back Tim Hightower will remain the team's starter for the time being. When asked about the situation, Whisenhunt said: "That's an issue that if it comes, it comes. We've always said when we feel it's time to make a change with those things, we'll do it, if that's deserved. We're not going to make Beanie (Wells) the starter just to make Beanie the starter.

Pyro's take: Whisenhunt also says that he believes the rotation they have going right now has been effective, so there's no reason to change it. He may be right, but Wells gives them an explosive dimension Hightower doesn't. Wells should eventually take over, but at this point, he's still just a low-end RB2 on your fantasy football team.

When asked if running back Beanie Wells will start this Sunday, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said "It's not going to happen yet", but also said "when he does get the hot hand... we're going to use him more and more."

Pyro's take: Wells will eventually overtake Tim Hightower as the starter, and is still likely to get more touches this week as well. You can start getting the rookie into your fantasy football lineup now as it seems Beanie is finally learning the ropes.

Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt stated on Monday that he plans on getting running back Beanie Wells more involved the team's three-receiver offense as the season progresses.

Pyro's take: Beanie has thus far been used solely as a rushing RB, making it obvious what the team plans to do when he's in there. The time he missed during training camp is a large contributor to this. Wells is just a handcuff to Tim Hightower on your fantasy football team at this point.

Arizona Cardinals running back Tim Hightower leads the NFL in targets out of the backfield with 17 thus far, while Darren Sproles comes in a close second with 16.

Pyro's take: With rookie RB Beanie Wells still learning the ropes in Arizona, the Cardinals have been using Hightower in whatever capacity they can. He finished 21st last year in targets despite limited playing time, so we expect more of the same going forward in 2009.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said in the beginning of training camp that RB Tim Hightower was the clear starter for the team, but has since rethought that statement. "I would never rule it out," Whisenhunt said of RB Beanie Wells becoming the starter, "because you never know what can happen."

Pyro's take: Hightower will still be the starter come Week 1, but that won't last for long. Wells has Hightower beat in just about every aspect of the position, and it's just a matter of time before Wells takes over the starting job.

Arizona Cardinals rookie RB Beanie Wells rushed seven times for 46 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers Friday night, one of which was a 20-yarder with a couple of really nice moves.

Pyro's take: Very encouraging, but the Packers struggled against the run all year in 2008, and don't appear to be much improved as even Tim Hightower had a big night rumbling for 38 yards on six carries.

Pyro's take: RB Tim Hightower had himself a really nice game in the preseason opener, so Wells may be feeling the pressure to get back out there to show what he can do. Rookies tend to overextend themselves at times, so someone needs to let him know that it can be counter-productive coming back too soon. Beanie is still questionable for the next preseason game.

According to Arizona Cardinals beat writer Daniel Urban, Tim Hightower is "stretching the distance" between he and rookie RB Beanie Wells on the depth chart.

Pyro's take: Wells sat out last week with an injured ankle, and that is never good for a rookie. Every day Wells misses time is a good day for Hightower. However, we predicted Wells to takeover Hightower's starting job by the end of September, and this injury will only delay that by one or two weeks.

Tim Hightower is expected to be the starter at RB for the Arionza Cardinals when the season commences.

Pyro's take: The Cardinals are expecting rookie Chris Wells to challenge for, and take over, the starting duties. But the fact that he's missing valuable training camp time due to a sprained ankle is good news for Hightower. However, we still expect Wells to be the leading rusher for the Cardinals at the end of the season.